Two meanings in the tabernacle and its form

Next we have the tabernacle itself, which was one, though separated
into two parts. There were (as the word teaches us) two meanings in
the tabernacle and in its form. In general it was where God dwelt and
revealed Himself, hence, the heavens, God's tabernacle; and the Person
of Christ, God's dwelling [1] . The heavenly places themselves, says
the apostle, had to be purified with better sacrifices (Heb. 9:
23). So Christ has passed through the heavens, as Aaron up to the
mercy-seat (Heb. 4: 14). Again, it is used in the same sense as a
figure of the created universe (Heb. 3: 3, 4), where it is also used
as a whole as a figure of the saints, as the house over which Christ
is as Son. The veil was, we know on the same divine authority, the
flesh of Christ, which concealed God in His holiness of
judgment -- in His perfectness as sovereign justice itself, but
manifested Him in perfect grace to those to whom His presence revealed
itself.

The tent, the veil and the cherubim

The tabernacle [2] itself was formed of the same
things as the veil; figurative, I doubt not, of the essential purity
of Christ as a man, and of all the divine graces embroidered, as it
were, thereon. To this was also added cherubim, the figure, as we have
seen, of judicial power [3] , conferred, as we know, on Christ as man:
God "will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he
hath ordained:" and again, "The Father judgeth no man, but
hath committed all judgment unto the Son . . . and hath given him
authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of
man."

The outer coverings

It seems to me that the other coverings point to Him also: that of the
goat-skins to His positive purity, or rather to that severity of
separation from the evil that was around Him, which gave Him the
character of prophet -- severity, not in His ways towards poor
sinners, but in separation from sinners, the uncompromisingness as to
Himself, which kept Him apart, and gave Him His moral authority, that
moral cloth of hair which distinguished the prophet; that of the
ram-skins dyed red points to His perfect devotedness to God [4] , His
consecration to God (may God enable us to imitate Him!); and that of
the badger-skin to the vigilant holiness, both of walk and in external
relationship, which preserved Him, and perfectly so, from the evil
that surrounded Him. "By the word of thy lips I have kept me from
the paths of the destroyer." "He that is begotten of God
keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not." Besides
what may be called His Person, these things correspond to the new
nature in us, the new man, and of Him, so far as born of the Holy
Ghost at His incarnation -- His birth in the flesh in which He was
the perfect expression of it; but I speak of the thing itself in
practice, or what is produced by the Spirit in us, and by the word.

[1] We may add, as Christians, "whose house are we." The
body is never the subject in Hebrews: we are pilgrims walking by
faith. Nor is the Father. [2] If we examine the
details more closely, it will be found that in the tent and veil there
was no gold, but there were cherubim; in the ephod gold, but no
cherubim; in the hangings before the holy place neither Within, in
both holy place and holy of holies, all was gold. So Christ as man
(and the veil we know was His flesh) had the judicial authority and
will have it as man, not only in government, but in final divine
judgment; but He was man, and walked as man; within all was divine The
priesthood in its Aaronic character could not have the cherubim that
is judicial authority in heaven, but His presence there is identified
with divine righteousness. As He appeared outside down here all was
perfect grace, but in outward appearance He took neither.

[3] When fully depicted, the cherubim shewed the powers of creation
and God's attributes as displayed in the throne, in the four heads of
the earthly creation: man, cattle, wild beasts, and birds;
intelligence, stability, power, and rapidity of judgment. Man had
made gods and idols of them; they formed the throne on which God sat.

[4] This is drawn from the occasions on which the ram was used in the
sacrifices.